Stumpjumper Alu im großen Pinkbike Budgetbike Test

[Ben]

Das Specialized Stumpjumper Alu wurde für den großen Pinkbike Budgetbike Test 2022 ins Boot geholt. Der Budgetbike Test geht in sein zweites Jahr nach 2021 und beinhaltet neben 4 Hardtails auch 5 Fullies. Das Alu Stumpy wird dort mit dem Fezzari Cascade Peak, Canyon Spectral 125, YT Izzo und dem Kona Process 134 in den Ring geworfen.

 

Allein die Geometriedaten sind schon ein deutliches Zeichen für die Modernität des Specializeds. Lediglich das YT Izzo kann sich dem vermeintlichen Industriestandard bei Lenkwinkel und Sitzwinkel gleichsetzen. Das Stumpy kommt mit 77,2° - 77,7° Sitzwinkel und 65° - 65,5° Lenkwinkel. Absolut modern, absolut auf den Punkt gebracht meiner Meinung. Das Gewicht des getesteten Bikes liegt bei 16,1 kg in Rahmengröße S4.

Hier der Link zum Artikel auf Englisch:

https://www.pinkbike.com/news/video-value-bike-field-test-welcome-2022-full-suspension-hardtails.html

Zudem noch ein paar bewegte Bilder:

 

[Ben]

Hier kommt das geschriebene Review zum Stumpy 2022:

 

Field Test: 2022 Stumpjumper Alloy - As Versatile As Ever

 

PINKBIKE FIELD TEST

Specialized Stumpjumper Alloy
 

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Words by Alicia Leggett; photography by Tom Richards

 

It feels like just last week that we released the Field Test review of the Specialized Stumpjumper Evo Alloy, but it's already time to write about the Stumpy Evo Alloy's budget-oriented little sister, the Stumpjumper Alloy. Like its aggressive sibling, the Stumpjumper Alloy rolls on 29" wheels and is made, as you could probably guess from the name, of aluminum. Specialized describes the Stumpy Alloy as "your all-access pass for trail adventure," which is certainly a promising claim. We put it through its paces in Tucson, Arizona, to see how those words hold up when the tires hit the dirt - err, rocks.

This iteration of the Stumpjumper Alloy arrived in 2021 with updated kinematics, more progressive geometry, and a bit less weight than previous versions, aiming to be that one do-it-all bike that every brand seemingly wants their 130-140mm bike to be.

Specialized Stumpjumper Alloy Details

• Travel: 130 mm / 14 0mm
• Aluminum frame
• Wheel size: 29"
• Head angle: 65° - 65.5°
• Seat tube angle: 77.2° - 77.7° (size S4)
• Reach: 475mm - 480 mm (S4)
• Chainstay length: 440 mm - 444 mm
• Sizes: S1 - S6 (S4 tested)
• Weight: 35.6 lbs / 16.1 kg
• Price: $2,650 USD
• specialized.com

Expectations for this Stumpjumper were high from the start. After all, the Stumpjumper webpage manages to use nearly all the bike review cliches, with notes about how the bike is "a refined mid-travel ripper that eats big terrain like a gravity fed beast, handles like a dream everywhere, and climbs like it has a motor" and how the geometry numbers have been tweaked to be more, uh, "carvealicious," but the 200mm rotor up front, beefy tires, and tried-and-true Stumpjumper platform seem up to the task of delivering something good.
 

Moving beyond the neon salmon color (yes, it also comes in a neutral black and a pleasant sage), the frame has a few things to note. First, unlike the carbon version of this bike, the Stumpjumper Alloy uses a Horst Link design rather than flex stays that we saw appear on the latest carbon version. The Horst layout, in line with all the rest of the full suspension Stumpy's history, makes for a more relaxed ride than the snappier flex stay design, which was borrowed from the much racier Specialized Epic.

The other details look familiar, too: the cables are internally routed, it uses the same asymmetric design as the rest of the Stumpy lineup, and there's a flip chip on the chainstay that can raise or lower the bottom bracket by seven millimeters while changing the head angle by half a degree. Sadly, though, this Stumpjumper has no SWAT Box, so we had to go back to using our pockets and hip packs like we did in the good old days.

The Stumpy Alloy weighs in at 35.6 lbs / 16.1 kg, making it the heaviest of the full suspension bikes on test, though to its credit, it arrived with a proper Specialized Butcher and Purgatory tire combo. The bike also came outfitted with a SRAM SX drivetrain, Tektro Gemini Comp brakes, a RockShox 35 Silver fork, an X-Fusion 02 Pro RL shock, and a TranzX 34.9 mm dropper post with 170mm of travel for the size S4 bike.

It's also worth mentioning that while the Stumpy doesn't have size-specific everything, it does have two chainstay lengths. Sizes S1 to S4 have 440 to 444 mm chainstays, depending on the flip chip position, and sizes S5 and S6 get an extra centimeter of length, coming in at 450 to 454 mm.

Climbing

Specialized gave the Stumpjumper Alloy a steep seat tube angle, and that forward pedaling position is quite noticeable when climbing. That's a good thing - being centered over the bike while climbing and having a comfortable spot to perch while mashing makes a huge difference in my willingness to actually try on climbs, even if it did make the dropper post even more crucial when on the flats or even choppy climbs to get the post just a little bit out of the way. The steep seat angle also means that those of us with long legs can run the seatpost high without finding ourselves way out over the rear wheel when pedaling.

Overall, the Stumpjumper was a fair and comfortable climber. While it weighs 35.6 pounds, dialed geometry means that it carries the weight well, and it climbs better than some other, lighter bikes.

On both the climbs and the descents, the suspension became a focal point for me. I found it difficult to settle on the right amount of air pressure for the shock, as it performed best on the climbs with a bit of extra air, but the trade-off was a loss of sensitivity on the descents. On the flip side, I thought it settled into the suspension too much on the climbs when the air pressure was optimized for descending. A climb switch on the X-Fusion 02 Pro RL shock somewhat mitigates the issue, and I consider that little lever a nonnegotiable on this bike, but I would have appreciated a slightly firmer pedaling platform all around.

We also need to mention the SRAM SX Eagle drivetrain: none of us loved it, or even liked it. The SX group does get the job done, for the most part, but the shifting lags and doesn't have the satisfying, crisp feel that defines most of SRAM's range. It also uses a conventional HG freehub body, rather than the XD driver used by the upper echelon SRAM groupsets, so someone who wants to upgrade the (heavy) SX cassette to GX or above would need to swap out the freehub body.

Still, the bike does what it needs to do on the climbs: it holds onto every bit of traction, even on the desert rocks, and it's a comfortable bike to pedal, even if it does like to wallow a bit sometimes. Don't we all?

 

Descending
 

The Stumpjumper's personality on the climbs - comfortable and versatile - showed similarly on the descents, where, for the most part, it soaked up the harsh hits and chatter nicely.

Since it is a Stumpjumper, it's meant to be a well-rounded machine - especially in the alloy version. The bike has been through so many generations over more than 40 years that Specialized has more or less cracked the trail bike code, and this iteration of the Stumpy remains an easy bike to ride.

The 130mm bike handles nicely on the descents, with obvious stability that doesn't overwhelm its ability to play around. Even with the slightly squatty rear suspension, it rides lightly over the sharp desert rocks and feels capable enough to take anywhere an entry-level trail bike should reasonably go.

Timed Testing

Our timed lap consisted of steep, technical climbs full of ledges and hard efforts, and a rough descent littered with rocks that lead into a fast, loose section of trail. Don't forget that timing is just one of many ways to judge a bike, and fast doesn't always mean it's the best for everyone.

The Stumpjumper stayed cool and collected all the way through the test lap for a winning lap time of 2:46. It was the second-fastest on the climb at 1:43, four seconds back from the winning YT Izzo, and it tied for the win on the descent with the Fezzari Cascade Peak at 1:03, three seconds ahead of the Canyon Spectral, making it the fastest all-arounder of our five full suspension bikes in the overall.

Throughout the Field Test, we rode the Stumpjumper on a variety of terrain, and the bike definitely isn't a specialist - it feels similarly comfortable on rolling cross-country terrain and choppy, rocky trails. The geometry is essentially what we've come to expect from a modern trail bike, and it works. Compared to many other 130mm bikes, the 65-65.5° head tube angle gives it a pinch of extra stability that pairs nicely with the moderate 440-444mm chainstays on our size S4 test bike: all around, it's a balanced ride. Carvealicious indeed.

My gripes about this particular salmon Stumpy come from the spec, though I know I'm nitpicking, since the fact that a bike this capable exists for $2,650 is impressive in itself.

The X-Fusion 02 Pro RL lacks finesse, with just a rudimentary rebound dial and a climb switch, so there aren't too many settings combinations to play with. Similarly, the RockShox 35 fork does absorb some bumps, but doesn't have the fine-tuning adjustments found on high-end forks. For me, the suspension worked just fine at low speeds, where it did its job of soaking up rocks and giving the bike a pleasant, forgiving feel, but felt less at-home at higher speeds, where the bike felt chattery and I would have appreciated more sensitivity from both the fork and the shock.

I was also underwhelmed by the base-level Tektro brakes, which did have enough power but lacked initial bite.

As for the good parts, I got along with the Specialized Butcher and Purgatory tires famously. The grippy T9 rubber on the Butcher up front and firmer T7 of the Purgatory struck a nice balance with traction and resistance. Plus, avoiding flat tires in the desert is a good thing, right?

It was also nice to spend some time getting to know the TranzX dropper post. The simple, cable-actuated dropper uses a 34.9 mm clamp, has a decent lever, and - the important part - just plain works.

 

Pros

+ Versatile, workhorse trail bike
+ Adjustable geometry
+ Good value for an entry-level full suspension bike

Cons

- Entry-level suspension components feel less at home at higher speeds
- On the heavy side

 

 

 

 

[Ben]

 

[Ben]

In der großen Abschlussbesprechung haben Mike Kazimer, Alicia und Ryan sich geäußert. Sie halten das Stumpjumper Alu für (in diesem Test) teilweise als relativ schwach ausgestattet, vor allem der billige SRAM Antrieb hat sie nicht überzeugt. Allerdings gilt für sie der Stumpjumper Rahmen als der beste im Test zusammen mit dem Canyon Spectral, welches allerdings eine andere Philosophie verfolgt (Enduro Geometrie mit kurzen Beinen). Sie sagen, dass sie dem Stumpjumper Rahmen durchaus Potenzial zutrauen, und dass sie es als Upgrade-würdig erachten, sollte man im Laufe des Besitztums die günstigeren Komponenten aufgrund des Verschleißes tauschen.

Insgesamt ziehen sie ein sehr positives Fazit zum Stumpjumper. Als Bike für weniger steiles und rumpeliges Terrain halten sie es für eine sehr gute Wahl.

Wer sich die Diskussion noch einmal im Original anschauen möchte, der kann hier aufs Video drücken.

 

[ullimtb]

Danke für die Übersetzung, da mein Englisch eher auf Basisniveau ist 😄 Klingt spannend! Denkt ihr es lohnt sich erstmal ein schlechter ausgestattetes Stumpjumper zu kaufen und dann später zu optimieren? Was denkt ihr sollte man ins Auge fassen für die Optimierungen?

[Ben]

Moin ulli,

ist immer eine schwierige Frage. Ich denke wenns Budget gerade nicht so üppig ist, dann würde ich günstig einsteigen und dann später nach Bedarf upgraden. Ich würde wahrscheinlich zuerst die Gabel und das Federbein tauschen, weil du da am meisten Veränderungen spüren wirst. Wegen der Haltbarkeit könnte man später bei verschlissener Kassette auf GX upgraden, allerdings bräuchtest du dafür einen anderen Freilauf, der dann nochmal mit vielleicht 70 € zu Buche schlägt. Bei der Bremse würde ich gucken, ob sie dir reicht. Ansonsten Code RSC oder Shimano XT (mein Favorit). Kommt aber auch drauf an wie schwer du bist. Für die schweren Fahrer lohnt sich eine dicke Bremse. Aus meiner Erfahrung kommen leichtere Fahrer mit der Code auch sehr gut aus.

Hier ein paar Links zu Upgrades.

Rock Shox Super Deluxe Ultimate in 190 x 45 mm:https://www.tnc-hamburg.com/TNC-Shop/Daempfer-Federbeine/Rock-Shox-Daempfer/Rock-Shox-Super-Deluxe-Ultimate-Air-Daempfer/Rock-Shox-Super-Deluxe-Ultimate-RCT-DebonAir-190x-45-mm--50722.html

Rock Shox Lyrik Select und Ultimate:

https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anzeige/rock-shox-lyrik-select-170mm-29-zoll/2100883812-217-1649

https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anzeige/rock-shox-lyrik-ultimate-mtb-29-170-mm/2106801709-217-15597

SRAM GX 12x Kassette:

https://www.bike-discount.de/de/sram-gx-eagle-xg-1275-12-fach-kassette-10-50t

Code RS/RSC:

Shimano XT:

https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anzeige/shimano-br-m-8120-xt-bremse-4-kolben/2106172282-217-359

 

Viel Spaß bei der Entscheidung!